The Recruit
by Leria006
Summary: Allowing the cadets a night on the town before heading to San Fransisco was supposed to be boring.  Then again, when Kirk is around, things are anything but.


Okay, I know this has been done before but I decided to jump on the bandwagon and write the recruiting scene from Pike's perspective. I actually wrote this not long after the movie, but I wanted to give it a good look over first.

So, here it is, another version on how Kirk came to be in Star Fleet.

I own nothing, please enjoy.

* * *

Captain Christopher Pike leaned casually against the transport provided for the cadets and stared upward at the night sky. They were more visible here than he was used to in San Francisco, the wide open cornfields and lack of artificial light allowing them to shine all the more clearly.

Not everyone thought that it was a good idea to let the cadets spend the last day of this recruiting trip imbibing copious amounts of alcohol but Pike was not known for taking the safe routes. Besides, you could weed out the trouble makers more quickly when they were less in control.

Nonetheless he was not at all happy when one of the cadets he'd picked up this round came running up to him shouting that a few of his _older _cadets were beating the hell out of some farm boy.

"Stay here." He ordered firmly as he strode purposely into the building. He got there just in time to see Cadet Carson slam the young local onto a table and begin to pound his fists unmercifully at the other's face.

Without hesitation he brought his fingers to his lips and let out a piercing whistle. In response the entire room froze, the multitude of cadets, new and old, snapping to attention and all eyes turned to him. Pike didn't speak up immediately, instead taking a moment to look around the room in disapproval.

"Outside, all of you. Now." The cadets filed out efficiently, it would have been impressive under better circumstances.. They would wait by the transport, so he did not follow immediately. Instead he glanced down at the young man currently bleeding and still lying atop the table he'd been thrown onto.

"You okay son?" Pike asked, trying to figure out why the battered face was familiar. The kid blinked up at him, his breathing slowly calming now that the adrenaline rush was dwindling.

"You can whistle really loud, you know that?" The kid declared, still blinking away the stars he had to be seeing. Pike barely managed to suppress the smile and instead tilted his head to the side as he regarded the figure before him.

Damn that face was familiar.

"So I've been told." He answered amicably as he helped the kid first to stand, then to sit at the table. "I'm going to want to speak with you but I have to deal with the cadets first. You all set to wait here?"

Wincing as he prodded at a particularly sore spot on his face the kid looked up at Pike and pondered that for a time.

"Mind if I have a drink while I wait?" He responded, smirking painfully despite the blood still dripping from his nose. Somehow managing to prevent the eye roll Pike nodded and turned away, heading first to the bartender.

"So, what exactly happened here?" He began as way of introduction. The bartender looked him up and down, clearly not impressed by the uniform or the captains stripes. Deliberately filling an order for a local patron and wiping down one last glass he then turned to Pike and managed to look down despite his shorter stature.

"Your _kids_ attacked one of my loyal customers, who was just flirting with the girl. She didn't really seem to mind either." He declared stiffly. The academy was good for brief jolts in his business but he really depended on repeat customers and the kid currently stuffing napkins up his nose was one.

"The first punch was thrown by a cadet then." Pike nodded, not overly surprised by the revelation. He looked back over at the kid who had hailed down a server and put in his drink order. Turning back to the bartender he asked the question that had been bothering him since he'd laid eyes on the kid.

"Who is he anyway?" The bartender held his gaze for a moment, clearly deciding whether or not that question should be answered.

"That there is James Kirk. Lives not far from here, comes in pretty often, alone, although that isn't how he leaves." _Kirk._ Pike allowed his eyebrows to rise in surprise and looked again at the kid he'd stopped from being mauled.

"Kirk." Pike repeated slowly, as if testing the name. "Any relation to George Kirk?" He directed his question to the bartender but never looked away from the subject of his appraisal. As a result he missed the long suffering shake of the bartender's head as he looked at the captain.

"Yeah, that would be him." The bartender confirmed, and Pike realized now why that face was so familiar. Clearly, the kid looked like his father, now the question was had he inherited anything else.

Pike had known George Kirk, had been proud to consider him a colleague, he'd kept an eye and ear out for news of his sons, but nothing had ever reached Star Fleet. George Kirk had been an exceptional officer, he'd followed orders but he's also known when and how to question them. He'd been respected by his superiors and inferiors alike and Pike made the decision then and there to see if he could sense any of that Kirk charisma in the son.

"Thanks, keep him happy." Pike left before the guy could respond and as he was making his way to the cadets currently lined up next to their transport he began to look up information on his PADD. As he scrolled through the aspects of Jim Kirk's life that society believed important to keep track of, he came to a halt in front of the cadets actually responsible for the damage, both to body and to property.

They waited, stiff at attention and more than a little concerned.

Pike let them. Kirk's history was riveting, why was he wasting time here getting into bar fights with burly Starfleet cadets? Only after he'd read through the file did he look up. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't delay this too much longer. Since reading the file he knew that there was no guarantee that Kirk would still be waiting for him.

Even before introductions he was already seeing shades of the father.

"What were you thinking?" He began, looking at the group, holding the gaze of the four with visible bruises. "You are members of Starfleet despite still being cadets. It is no longer just _your_ reputation on the line but the reputation of everyone currently and previously enlisted in this establishment. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir." The answer was immediate and Pike noted that the four responsible were louder than the rest. With some difficulty he managed not to sigh. He had more to say but they weren't really listening. With one last disgusted look at the ruffians involved, he turned to the lieutenant who'd been sent with them to help keep order. Not, he realized that it had done much good.

"Take them back. We leave at 0800 sharp."

"Yes, sir." She responded smartly, saluting and herding the despondent group away. Shaking his head he turned back to the bar and went inside. Most of the clientele had left, and the few remaining were finishing up. Pike was pleased to see that Kirk was still sitting where he had left him, nursing a drink.

Kirk looked up when he approached and smiled crookedly.

"Thought you'd gotten lost."

"No, just had to take care of a few things."

"Uhuh."

"I'm Captain Pike. You want to tell me what happened." Kirk blinked at him and shrugged.

"All I was doing was a little harmless flirting, no law against that is there?"

"Not if it really was harmless." Pike was a good judge of character, it was one of the reasons why they had made him a recruiter while he waited for the Enterprise to be completed. Right now his instincts were telling him that Kirk was a good kid. Smart too if those test results were a proper indication.

"Look, I talk a good game but she wasn't having it. Doesn't mean I don't like a challenge. I knew right away that I wasn't going to get anywhere with her, so what if I decided to pursue an entertaining conversation. 'Sides, she was enjoying herself too." Jim defended himself, shoulders tense as he tried to explain his actions.

"I believe you." Kirk blinked at him, mouth open in preparation of the unneeded retaliation. Sniffing carefully through his bloodied nose he closed his mouth and actually took some time before speaking again. Pike found his regard for the kid rising up a notch, clearly there was more than the cocky-I-don't-care attitude.

"Okay, then why are you here?" Confusion was always an interesting emotion to see on someone, especially when they were also curious. Pike didn't answer right away, maintaining eye contact and trying to figure out the best approach to what he was planning. The upper brass might not like what he was hoping he would accomplish tonight but to hell with them.

"You know, I couldn't believe it when the bartender told me who you were." Ah hell, might as well just plunge headlong into the conversation Pike decided, especially if Kirk Jr. was anything like his dad as he suspected, than the blunt approach was best.

"And who am I Captain Pike?" Kirk retorted and the sarcasm and resignation was clear in the young man's voice. Knowing that he couldn't back down he continued.

"Your father's son." Kirk rolled his eyes at that and looked away, annoyance beginning to override his curiosity with the captain. The words started coming then, about leaping without looking, enlisting, doing something more, being something other than some genius level repeat offender, and Kirk listened.

He kept looking away, aggravation creeping into his voice but he stayed in that seat across from Pike and listened. A few times Pike thought he was reaching him, maybe getting to where he could tell the flight there was another body to make room for, only for the kid to pull away, to resist.

He knew that the peacekeeping line would lose Kirk, it always did with his type but he felt it was necessary to say. Kirk's file showed the potential for an outstanding officer, which depended of course on Pike getting through even as he watched Kirk shut down as he was only halfway through the dreaded line.

"We done?" The tone with which the younger man spoke made it clear that they _were_ done whether Pike thought so or not. Nodding his head in acquiescence Pike answered.

"I'm done." But as he stood, noticing how Kirk still wasn't leaving, Pike realized he couldn't just leave it there, even if the kid refused to look him in the eye. He hadn't been kidding, Starfleet could use a man like Kirk and if Pike left now all that would happen is Kirk would end up on the floor of another bar, maybe this one.

He informed Kirk of when and where the shuttle for new recruits would be leaving and then paused. The kid still wasn't looking at him, but he wasn't running away either. Throwing caution to the wind he made one last attempt.

"Your father was the captain of a starship for twelve minutes. He saved eight hundred lives, including your mother's and yours." Waiting a beat he dropped the challenge.

"I _dare_ you to do better." He left then, not hesitating or looking back as he left the now empty bar.

He did hesitate after exiting the building and saw the waiting ride and driver in the parking lot. Breathing in deeply the cool night air he waved at his escort and allowed himself to be driven away. He watched the building get smaller and hoped that he'd reached George's son and that he would be seeing him at the shuttle in the morning.

Just in case, he made sure to put Kirk's name on the list of those allowed into the compound.

* * *

Bright and early the next day found him welcoming back the new and old cadets and prepping the shuttle for launch. If he happened to spend more time in areas where he could see those who were arriving, well…

As he was making his way back out of the shuttle he noted someone not in a cadet's uniform. Pausing, he watched as the young man took out a silver flask, drank deeply while peering around suspiciously and then enter the bathroom, locking himself in.

Pike shook his head, he remembered this cadet now, an older recruit who'd had a small medical practice already but for reasons Pike was sure were personal and painful was enlisting in a profession he clearly had issues with. He made a mental note to have one of the crew roust the man before lift off.

There was no reason for him to go back outside, everyone who had been on the list last night was there and strapped in.

Nonetheless he went outside and stalled for time.

"We waiting for something sir?" Pike looked at the crewman who'd asked the question and slowly shook his head, finally turning away from the entrance.

"No, I guess not." However, as he started to actually re enter the shuttle the sound of a whining engine reached his ears. Interested, he turned around one more time. The motorcycle was a beauty, if unknown. Pike found himself smiling as he recognized the driver.

Sometime between the fight and now he'd cleaned the blood off his face which was now turning different colors. Kirk had not, however, bothered to change his clothes. Pike could still see the dried blood on the shirt.

A passing worker complimented the bike and soon found himself in possession of said vehicle.

Well, Pike thought, at least he knew the kid had finally found something to take seriously.

"Four years?" Kirk began as he stopped briefly in front of Pike. Kirk smiled as he let Pike know that the challenge that he'd been given the night before had been picked up and accepted.

"I'll do it in three." And with that Kirk was gone inside and Pike couldn't get rid of the smile as he headed towards the cockpit. Remembering to send someone to retrieve the doctor from the bathroom he began the preflight check list.

The shuttle lifted off and still Pike was smiling. He'd bent the recruiting rules in regards to the young Kirk but couldn't bring himself to regret it.

Something told him that the next few years were bound to be interesting, at the very least.


End file.
